Department for Transport

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Road Traffic Offences

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of EU regulations requiring HGV drivers to have a 45 hour break every week, what plans they have to introduce criminal penalties for lorry drivers who sleep in their cabs during breaks.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The EU drivers’ hours regulations allow HGV drivers to take a daily rest or a reduced weekly rest in their vehicle, provided the vehicle is stationary and is fitted with suitable sleeping facilities. However, the regulations do not allow a regular weekly rest period of 45 hours to be taken in the vehicle. Subject to stakeholder views, the Driver and Vehicle Standard Agency will be enforcing this through a £300 fixed penalty notice/financial penalty deposit.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund

lord stevenson of balmacara: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the new Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund of £4.7 billion, recently allocated to the Research Councils, they estimate will go to the cultural and creative industries; and what proportion of the first round of spending will be allocated to the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

lord prior of brampton: We are increasing research and development investment by £4.7 billion over the period 2017-18 to 2020-21. As part of this, the new Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) will help capitalise on our strengths in science and innovation.In the 2017 Budget we announced an initial investment of £270 million in 2017-18 for the ISCF to kick start the development of disruptive technologies which have the potential to transform the UK economy. The first wave of investments will include funding challenges to develop batteries to power the next generation of electric vehicles, robotics systems for hazardous environments, and new medicine manufacturing technologies.Details of further ICSF investments for 2017-18 will follow in due course.

Products: Safety

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to transposing current EU product safety legislation into UK law, when the UK exits the EU.

lord prior of brampton: Through the Great Repeal Bill the Government's general approach is that the same rules and laws will apply on the day after exit as they did before, until Parliament decides otherwise after proper parliamentary scrutiny.

Products: Safety

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to transposing current EU market surveillance legislation into UK law, when the UK exits the EU.

lord prior of brampton: Through the Great Repeal Bill the Government's general approach is that the same rules and laws will apply on the day after exit as they did before, until Parliament decides otherwise after proper parliamentary scrutiny.

Electrical Safety

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to retaining the Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU) and the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, when the UK exits the EU.

lord prior of brampton: Through the Great Repeal Bill the Government's general approach is that the same rules and laws will apply on the day after exit as they did before, until Parliament decides otherwise after proper parliamentary scrutiny.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Assets

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what land or buildings owned by, leased by, or under the control of, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy they are seeking to dispose of, and for what purposes.

lord prior of brampton: Following the Machinery of Government changes, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is currently considering how best to align the reform agendas of its two predecessor Departments. This will include considering what the right footprint for the Department should be, in order to best deliver its objectives.To contribute to the Government’s commitment to release surplus land to deliver up to 15,000 housing starts this Parliament, the Department is tasked with identifying surplus land to support 1,000 housing units. We have already identified land to support 977 housing units.

Northern Ireland Office

Armed Forces: Northern Ireland

lord laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive about extending the amnesty against prosecution accorded to members of the IRA to include British Service personnel charged with offences in Northern Ireland.

lord dunlop: There is no amnesty, immunity, or exemption from prosecution. This Government is clear that the rule of law applies to everyone equally and where there is evidence of wrongdoing this should be pursued. The UK Government remains committed to the establishment of the new bodies proposed in the Stormont House Agreement, which will address the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland in ways that are fair, balanced and proportionate.

Human Rights: Republic of Ireland

lord laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 13 March (HL5767) concerning the government of Ireland's approach to human rights, what discussions they have had with the government of Ireland concerning (1) property in the Republic of Ireland being available for sale only to those with a qualification in the Irish language; (2) official and semi-official jobs being available only to those with a qualification in the Irish language; and (3) welfare allowances for certain types of clothing being available only to those of the Roman Catholic faith.

lord dunlop: The issues around the provision of property for sale, jobs and welfare allowances in Ireland are matters for the Irish Government. The UK and Irish governments meet regularly both at ministerial and official level to discuss issues of mutual interest and concerns including matters relating to human rights in Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Northern Ireland Office: Assets

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what land or buildings owned by, leased by, or under the control of, the Northern Ireland Office they are seeking to dispose of, and for what purposes.

lord dunlop: The Northern Ireland Office does not have any land or buildings which it owns, leases or controls which it is seeking to dispose of.

Northern Ireland Government

lord kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the comments by the Irish Premier that he has agreed with the Prime Minister "there will be no return to direct rule", whether they have decided that there will be no return to direct rule if a Northern Ireland Executive is not established.

lord dunlop: Political stability in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the UK Government. The Government remains focused on securing the resumption of devolved government and the formation of an Executive within the statutory timeframe of 27 March. It is not speculating on any other outcome.

Northern Ireland Government

lord laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have given, as part of the current discussions concerning the Northern Ireland Executive, an undertaking to the government of the Republic of Ireland that they would not impose direct rule from Westminster; and if so, who agreed to this, on what date, and why.

lord dunlop: Political stability in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the UK Government. The Government remains focused on securing the resumption of devolved government and the formation of an Executive within the statutory timeframe of 27 March. It is not speculating on any other outcome.

Department for International Development

Syria: Armed Conflict

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the statement by the Secretary of State for International Development on 15 March (HC Deb, col 444) stating that 1.5 million people are living under siege-like conditions in Syria, where those figures were obtained from, and how the 1.5 million figure is calculated.

lord bates: The UN estimates that 643,000 people live in areas that it classifies as ‘besieged’ and 879,000 in areas that it classifies as ‘militarily encircled.’ Under the UN definitions, restrictions placed on ‘besieged’ areas are more severe than those on ‘military encircled’ areas. However, the populations in all these locations are surrounded by armed forces which are restricting aid deliveries and the movement of people, including the sick and wounded. The Government therefore combines the two to reach the approximate and continually fluctuating figure of 1.5 million people living under siege-like conditions.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Assets

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what land or buildings owned by, leased by, or under the control of, the Scotland Office they are seeking to dispose of, and for what purposes.

lord dunlop: The Government has made a commitment to release surplus government owned property with capacity of at least 160,000 homes and raising at least £5 billion from land and property disposals by 2020. The details of the government land and property released over the previous financial year will be published as part of the Transparency Review in summer 2017.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Assets

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what land or buildings owned by, leased by, or under the control of, the Wales Office they are seeking to dispose of, and for what purposes.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government has made a commitment to release surplus government owned property with capacity of at least 160,000 homes and raising at least £5 billion from land and property disposals by 2020. The details of the government land and property released over the previous financial year will be published as part of the Transparency Review in summer 2017. Departments released a total of 468 sites in 2015/16, which generated £973 million. No land or property releases were contributed by the Wales Office. The Wales Office is a small Government Department with a single building on Whitehall and lease of half a floor in Cardiff Bay.

HM Treasury

VAT

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many businesses are likely to be affected by the introduction of the flat rate for limited cost businesses in the VAT Flat Rate Scheme; and what estimate they have made of the proportion of these that are operated by self-employed individuals.

baroness neville-rolfe: Of the 411,000 businesses that use the VAT Flat Rate Scheme (FRS), we estimate that 128,000 have limited costs. We have not estimated how many of these businesses are operated by self-employed individuals. Of the FRS population as a whole, around 87% are incorporated companies, 11% are sole proprietors and 2% are partnerships.

Overseas Loans: Republic of Ireland

lord kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the outstanding amount of the UK loan to the government of Ireland; how much interest on that loan has been paid to the UK by the government of Ireland; and when that loan will be paid off.

baroness neville-rolfe: I refer the noble Lord to the most recent statutory report on the UK’s bilateral Loan to Ireland, which the Treasury provided to Parliament as required by Section 2 of the Loans to Ireland Act 2010. The last report was laid in Parliament on 13 October 2016 and is available in the Printed Paper Office[1]. This report shows the outstanding principal is £3,226,960,000, with repayments due in tranches from 15 April 2019 until 26 March 2021. An interest payment was made by the Republic of Ireland on 15 December 2016, and therefore the interest payments received now total £357,822,962.56. [1] The report is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-under-section-2-of-the-loans-to-ireland-act-2010-1-april-2016-to-30-september-2016

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many bills they are preparing as part of the process of leaving the European Union.

lord bridges of headley: The Government is carefully considering what changes need to be made to the statute book to effect the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. The details of the next legislative programme will be announced in the usual manner.